Vane for shock absorbers



July 14, 1931. E. BEECHER VANE FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS Filed Jan. 22, 1930 Patented July 14, 123E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PANY, F CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO vans FOR snoex usonrnas Application filed January 22, 1980. Serial No. 422,520.

This invention relates to shock absorbers of the type wherein a vane, mounted on a shaft, is operated in aliquid-containin working chamber in Connection with a fixe partition, with means for by-passing liquid from one,'side of the vane to the other. The object offthe invention is to provide a vane 'which is particularly adapted to withstand all of the incidents ofuse; which is economical of production; and which lends itself to large capacity production. I 'I accomplish the i foregoing object, and other and more limited objects which will appear hereinafter, in and through the cons'truction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 represents atransverse sectional view through a shock absorber containing a vane constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 a plan view of the vane shown in Fig. 1; ig. 3 an end elevation of such vane; Fig. 4 a detail in section corresponding to the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 a detail in iection corresponding to the line 5-5 of I JeSc'ribing the various parts by reference characters, 1 denotes the cylindrical casing of a hydraulic shock absorber, the same containin a working chamber 2 within which a shag 3 is mounted, the said shaft being provided with a seat or mounting for the vane. This seat comprises a block integral with the shaft and extending the depth of the working chamber, the said block having parallel sides 4 and cylindrical ends 5.

The vane, indicated generally at 6, is slid ably mounted on the shaft block or seat and is provided with a cylindrical hub 7 which engages the intermediate cylindrical surface 8 on a segmental partition comprising branches 9 and 10 and provided in the branch 9 with passages 11, 12 and 13 and in the branch 10 with passages 14, 15 and 16 by which liquid may be by-passed from one side of the vane to the other, through the branches of said partition and through a chamber 17 formed between the said branches. Aside from the cylindrical surface 8, 'which cooperates with the hub 7 the details of the partition form no part of the invention intended to be protected herein, these details being embodied in my ggplligiagion, Serial N 0. 422,519, filed January The, vane .comprises, in addition to the hub 7, a wide blade 18 havin pockets 19, 19, extending thereinto from t e peripheral portion thereof, the surfaces 20, which are in close proximity to the interior of the easing 1, being cylindrical, there being webs 21 interposed between the upper or front pockets 19 and the lower or rear pockets 19.

It will be noted that the hub is provided with a slot 22 which is of approximately the same shape as the shaft block on which the vane is mounted, the sides of the slot being adapted-to contact with the sides of the block and the ends 22 of the slot being cylindrical. However, the slot is of slightly greater length than the seat provided therefor, so that the' vane may have a sliding movement with reference to the shaft.

In producing the vane shown herein, I form the bod from a plurality of thin steel plates 24, eac of the plates having the outline shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. These plates may be stamped to the shape shown; that is to say, each will be provided with a hub portion 24, with a blade portion 24 having short arms or fingers 24 with short recesses 24 therebetween and each having a slotted opening 24 the sides of which are adapted to engage the sides of the bearing block therefor on the shaft 3. These plates will be assembled in a die, one on top of another, in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the plates being retained in place by means of short pins or postsengagin the opposite sides of the hub portions 0 the top and bottom plates of the stack and the extreme outer edges of the first and third fingers 24 of the top and bottom plates of the stack respectively.

Having the stack of plates thus supported in the die, and the die cavity being of such shape as to produce a complete vane such as shown in the drawings hereof I fill the cavity with an alloy capable of die casting and then die 'cast the metal around the stack of plates, thereby producing'the vane shown in the drawing, wherein 25 represents the openings in the body 25 formed by the posts or pins employed to support the said stack.

Due to the manner of constructing the vane, I am enabled to produce a vane having, in the reinforcing body provided by the plates 24, all of the strength that is necessary to withstand all ordinary incidents of use, which strength would be absent from the vane if it were made entirely of an alloy suitable for die-casting. Furthermore, by forming the slots 24? in the plates 24 in such manner that the walls defining the sides of such slots shall engage the bearing block of the shaft, the sides of the slotted openings in the vane will be capable of withstanding, for a prolonged period of time, the wear due to the sliding movement of the vane upon the shaft.

The pockets 19 and 19" contain liquid which, when the vane is moved suddenly in either direction, is caused to whirl, whereby the liquid is pressed outwardly against the adjacent inner wall of the casing 1, thus insuring a liquid seal around the ends of the cylindrical surfaces 20 and avoiding the necessity for close tolerances between such surface and the interior surface of the casing.

It will be evident that, due to the manner of forming and constructing the vane, I am enabled to produce a vane of the desired shape which will possess ample strength for all the purposes for which it is intended; which can be produced at a low cost; and which lends itself to large capacity production.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s 1. A vane for shock absorbers comprising in combination an inner reinforcing body having an opening therethrough for the reception of a shaft, and an outer body die cast about the inner body and also having an opening for the shaft aligned with an end of the opening in the reinforcing body.

2. A vane for shock absorbers comprising in combination an inner reinforcing body having an opening therethrough for the reception of a shaft, and an outer body die cast about the inner body and also having openings for the shaft aligned with opposite ends of the opening in the inner body.

3. A vane for shock absorbers comprising an inner body consisting of a plurality of steel plates having aligned openings therethrough for the passage of a shaft, and a body of suitable metal alloy die cast about said plates and having openings therein aligned with the openings in said plates.

4. A vane for shock absorbers comprising an inner body consisting of a plurality of strong metal plates having aligned openings therethrough for the passage of a shaft, and a body of suitable metal cast about said plates and having openin therein aligned with the openings in'sai plates.

5. A vane for shock absorbers comprising an inner body consisting of a plurality of strong metal plates each having a hub portion and a blade portion projecting from such hub portion, the said plates aving aligned openings through the hub portions thereof for the reception of a shaft, and a body of alloy die cast about the said plates and having a hub portion provided with openings aligned with the openings in said plates and a blade portion enclosing and extending beyond the blade portions of said lates. p 6. A vane for shock absorbers comprisin an inner body consisting of a plurality 0 strong metal plates each having a hub portion and a blade portion from was pro ecting} such hub portion, the sai plates avingaligned openings through the hub portions thereof for the reception of a shaft and each provided with a lurality of fingers forming part of such b ade portion, and a body of alloy die cast about the said plates and having a hub portion provided with openings aligned with the openings in said plates, and a blade portion enclosing and extending beyond the blade portions of said plates and comprising fingers enclosin and extending beyond the fingers of said p ates.

7. A vane for shock absorbers comprising an inner body consisting of a plurality ofstrong metal plates each having a hub portion and a blade portion rojectin from such hub portion, the said plates having aligned openings through the hub portions thereof for the reception of a shaft, and a body of alloy die cast about the said plates and having a hub portion provided with openings aligned with the openings in said plates and a blade portion enclosing and extending beyond the blade portions of said plates and comprising fingers extending beyond the said plates. 1

8. A vane for hydraulic shock absorbers comprising a plurality of strong metal plates, mounted one upon another and forming an inner reinforcing body, each late having a hub portion and the said p ates being provided with aligned openings through the hub portions thereof for the reception of a shaft and also having each a blade portion provided at its outer extremit; with a plurality of fingers, and a body 0 suitable alloy die cast about the said lates and comprising a hub portion encloslng the hub portions of the said plates and provided with openings aligned with the openings through said plates and also comprising a blade portion terminating in finers enclosing t e blade portions and the ngers of said plates, the outer ends of the fingers of such enclosing bod being substantially cylindrical, inwar y extending ockets being provided between such gers. 9. A vane for hydraulic shock absorbers comprising a plurality of strong metal plates, mounted one upon another and forming an inner reinforcing body, each plate having a hub portion and the said plates being provided with aligned openings through the hub portions thereof for the reception of a shaft and also having each a blade portion provided at its outer extremity with a plurality of fingers, and a body of suitable alloy die cast about the said plates and comprising a hub portion enclosing the hub portions of the said plates and provided with openings aligned with the openings through said plates and also comprising a blade portion terminating in fingers and enclosing the blade portions and the fingers of said plates, the outer ends of the fingers of such enclosing body'being substantially cylindrical and there being die cast webs extending between said fingers and providing with the cylindrical ends of said fingers two series of inwardly extending pockets.

10. A vane for hydraulic shock absorbers comprising an inner reinforcing body having a hub portion and a blade portion, and an outer body die cast about the inner body and also havin a hub portion and a blade portion encloslng the corresponding tions of the inner body, the said vane ing an elongated opening through the hub portion thereof for the reception of an elongated seat on a shaft. r

11. A vane for hydraulic shock absorbers comprising an inner reinforcing body having a hub portion and a blade portion, and an outer body die cast about the inner body and also having a hub portion and a blade portion encloslng the corresponding portions of the inner body, the said vane having through the hub portion thereof an opening for the reception of an elongated bearing on a shaft, the said opening having cylindrical ends and arallel sides extending in the direction of t e length of the vane, the width of the opening through the inner body bein no greater than the width of the openings through the outer body.

In testimony whereof, I hereuntoafiix my signature.

EUGENE L. BEECHER. 

